Each member of staff will receive a bonus of £750 spread across September, October, and November to account for increasing fuel and energy costs, Mr O’Loan told C+D yesterday (August 16).

“We decided to do this because we have a duty to look after the people who look after our patients,” he told C+D.

Chemist4U employee Will Hayes wrote in a LinkedIn post that he hoped that other companies will choose to support their staff in a similar way.

“We all know how much extra it costs to get to and from work and all feel the effects of bigger shopping bills and most alarmingly, energy prices, as we inevitably head into the colder months,” he added.

Read more: Lloydspharmacy and Boots up mileage rate as fuel prices remain sky high

A screenshot of an email sent to employees by Mr O’Loan, which was shared on LinkedIn by Mr Hayes, reads: “We are a self-funded business as everyone knows, so such a big investment to cover 106 staff is no small number for us, but it’s important for all of you to know that we have your back when things get tough.”

Lloydspharmacy and Boots recently told C+D they have upped their mileage rates in response to record high fuel prices.

The Office for National Statistics announced today (August 17) that the consumer price index has risen to 10.1% in the 12 months leading to July this year, marking the first time it has risen to double digits in the last 40 years.